American Eagle responds to controversy over Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” campaign
American Eagle has responded to the backlash surrounding its viral Sydney Sweeney campaign.
The Euphoria star’s role in the new ad campaign – which declares “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” – triggered massive debate online, with many quick to criticise the implication of the wordplay behind “great jeans” versus “great genes”.
With the ensuing controversy having caught the attention of the White House and the entertainment world alike, the apparel brand has now responded. “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,” they posted on Instagram Friday (August 1).
“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Some on social media said that pairing the actor, who has blue eyes and blonde hair, with that tagline was a Nazi dog whistle and had racist undertones, particularly given the lines: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Even many of those who disagreed that the ad appeared to celebrate whiteness and eugenics felt uncomfortable with the campaign being used to raise awareness for domestic violence, and said doing so with a new line of jeans was “tone deaf” and “insane”.
JD Vance, however, defended the campaign, saying: “My political advice to the Democrats is continue to tell everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi. That appears to be their actual strategy.”
JD Vance weighs in on the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad:
“My political advice to the Democrats is continue to tell everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi. That appears to be their actual strategy. I mean, it actually reveals… pic.twitter.com/dgeySnDAq4
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 1, 2025
Lizzo was among those criticising the ad, sharing an image of her clad in head-to-toe denim alongside a caption: “If the Democrats won the election”, and “My jeans are black”.
She joins Doja Cat, who also poked fun at the ad earlier this week when she posted a video on TikTok mimicking what Sweeney says in one of the ads, using an over-the-top Southern drawl.
Sweeney is yet to address the controversy.
Many online are confused about why Sweeney – who fans are saying could be a future “Oscar winner” – has chosen to do a string of surprisingadverts. “My sydney sweeney hot take is that whoever is booking her endorsements hates her. girl, you’re on an HBO show,” wrote one X/Twitter user.
“bathwater soap, american eagle jeans, baskin robbins??? you should be wearing dior!! posing in a mercedes!!!”
The user referenced another controversial ad for the Madame Web star, who sold bars of soap infused with her used bathwater with the natural handmade soap brand Dr. Squatch.
She will next be seen in the biopic Christy, where she is taking on the role of boxer Christy Martin. The film is due to premiere in September.
The post American Eagle responds to controversy over Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” campaign appeared first on NME.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
